President Barack Obama's budget proposal for 2010 would spend $1 billion to endow a new federal fund meant to expand housing opportunities to low-income borrowers.

The Housing Trust Fund was conceived by Rep. Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, and was supposed to be funded by a tax on mortgage-finance agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

That assessment has been frozen since the companies were nationalized in September and the budget plan would restore that missing funding.

Freddie mac Fannie mae